Vacuum cleaner

ABSTRACT

A vacuum cleaner includes an upright body mounted to a base that moves over a surface to be cleaned. A rotational coupling can be provided between the upright body and the base for coupling the upright body to the base for movement about at least one rotational axis. The rotational coupling can include at least a swivel joint. A cord rewinder can be provided above the swivel joint for storing and dispensing a power cord.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/114,683, filed Aug. 28, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,791,900, issuedOct. 6, 2020, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/550,903, filed Aug. 28, 2017, all of which areincorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

Vacuum cleaners are provided with a vacuum collection system forcreating a partial vacuum to suck up debris (which may include dirt,dust, soil, hair, and other debris) from a surface to be cleaned and forcollecting the removed debris in a space provided on the vacuum cleanerfor later disposal. Vacuum cleaners for household use can be configuredas an upright unit having a base for movement across a surface to becleaned and an upright body pivotally mounted to a rearward portion ofthe base for directing the base across the surface to be cleaned. Theupright body is typically stored in an upright position relative to thebase, and reclined relative to the base for operation. Using a handle onthe upright body, the user moves the vacuum cleaner over a surface to becleaned during operation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

According to one aspect of the present disclosure a vacuum cleaner,comprising an upright body, a base adapted for movement over a surfaceto be cleaned and comprising a suction nozzle opening, a working airpath which extends from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet, a powercord, a suction motor electrically coupled to the power cord anddefining a portion of the working air path, a cord rewinder, and an aircooling pathway configured to direct air from the suction motor to thecord rewinder.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a vacuum cleaner according to anaspect of the present disclosure, with the vacuum cleaner shown in anupright storage position.

FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of a portion of the vacuum cleanerfrom FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a base of the vacuum cleaner from FIG. 1, where the base of the vacuum cleaner is partially cut away to showsome internal features of the base.

FIG. 4 is a partially exploded view of a portion of the vacuum cleanerfrom FIG. 1 .

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a cord rewinder of the vacuum cleaner fromFIG. 1 .

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a vacuum collection system of the vacuumcleaner from FIG. 1 .

FIG. 7 is a front view of the vacuum cleaner from FIG. 1 , withcomponents removed to illustrate a working air path through the vacuumcleaner.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the vacuum cleaner from FIG. 1 in a reclineduse position.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the vacuum cleaner fromFIG. 1 showing a portion of a working air through the vacuum cleaner,with a power cord removed for clarity.

FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view of a portion of the vacuumcleaner from FIG. 1 showing a swivel joint of the vacuum cleaner fromFIG. 1 .

FIG. 11 is a close-up view of Section XI of FIG. 10 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure relates to vacuum cleaners and in particular toupright vacuum cleaners having an upright body pivotally mounted to abase that moves over a surface to be cleaned. In one of its aspects, thepresent disclosure relates to an upright vacuum cleaner with an improvedcord rewinder. In another of its aspects, the present disclosure relatesto an upright vacuum cleaner with an improved coupling joint between theupright body and the base.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a vacuum cleanerincludes an upright body and a base coupled to the upright body by atleast a swivel joint, a suction motor located below the swivel joint,and a cord rewinder located above the swivel joint and the suctionmotor.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a vacuum cleanerincludes a cord rewinder and an air cooling pathway for the vacuumcleaner that includes a shroud for guiding vacuum cleaner exhaust air tovent holes in fluid communication with an interior of the cord rewinder.For example, the vacuum cleaner can include an upright body, a basecoupled to the upright body and adapted for movement over a surface tobe cleaned, a cord rewinder, and an air cooling pathway for the cordrewinder that includes a shroud for guiding vacuum cleaner exhaust airto vent holes in fluid communication with an interior of the cordrewinder.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a vacuumcleaner includes an upright body and a base coupled to the upright bodyby at least a swivel joint, wherein the swivel joint includes anexpandable seal. For example, the vacuum cleaner can include an uprightbody, a base adapted for movement over a surface to be cleaned andcoupled to the upright body, and a rotational coupling between theupright body and the base, wherein the rotational coupling includes aswivel joint permitting movement of the upright body about a firstrotational axis relative to the base, wherein the swivel joint includesat least one expandable seal. The expandable seal can be configured toexpand under vacuum. The swivel joint can include a swivel on theupright body and a swivel cover at least partially defining a cradle inwhich the swivel is rotatably mounted. The at least one expandable sealcan be provided between the swivel and the swivel cover.

For purposes of description related to the figures, the terms “upper,”“lower,” “right,” “left,” “rear,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” andderivatives thereof shall relate to the present disclosure as orientedin FIG. 1 from the perspective of a user behind the vacuum cleaner,which defines the rear of the vacuum cleaner. However, it is to beunderstood that the present disclosure may assume various alternativeorientations, except where expressly specified to the contrary.

FIGS. 1-2 show a vacuum cleaner 10 according to a first aspect of thepresent disclosure. The vacuum cleaner 10 includes a vacuum collectionsystem for creating a partial vacuum to suck up debris (which mayinclude dirt, dust, soil, hair, and other debris) from a surface to becleaned and collecting the removed debris in a space provided on thevacuum cleaner 10 for later disposal. The vacuum collection system caninclude a working air path through the vacuum cleaner. In some examplesof the present disclosure, not illustrated herein, the vacuum cleaner 10can additionally have fluid delivery capability, including applyingliquid or steam to the surface to be cleaned, and/or fluid extractioncapability.

The vacuum cleaner 10 can be provided in the form of an upright vacuumcleaner having an upright body 12 pivotally mounted to a lower base 14adapted for movement over a surface to be cleaned. The upright body 12generally includes a main support section or spine 16 supporting acollection assembly 18 for separating and collecting contaminants from aworking airstream for later disposal. In one conventional arrangementillustrated herein, the collection assembly 18 can include a cycloneseparator 20 for separating contaminants from a working airstream and anintegral dirt collector 22 for receiving and collecting the separatedcontaminants from the cyclone separator 20. The cyclone separator 20 canhave a single cyclonic separation stage, or multiple stages. The dirtcollector 22 can be provided with a bottom-opening dirt door 23 forcontaminant disposal. The collection assembly 18 defines a longitudinalaxis C, which is the central axis extending longitudinally through thecollection assembly 18 on which the cyclone separator 20 and dirtcollector 22 are centered. Alternatively, one or both of the cycloneseparator 20 and dirt collector 22 can be offset from the longitudinalaxis C.

In another conventional arrangement, the collection assembly 18 caninclude a separate dirt cup. It is understood that other types ofcollection assembly 18 can be used, such as centrifugal separators orbulk separators. In yet another conventional arrangement, the collectionassembly 18 can include a filter bag. In these alternate arrangements,the dirt cup, centrifugal separator, bulk separator, and/or filter bagcan be centered on the longitudinal axis C of the collection assembly 18or offset therefrom. The vacuum cleaner 10 can also be provided with oneor more additional filters upstream or downstream of the collectionassembly 18.

The upright body 12 also has an elongated handle 24 extending upwardlyfrom the spine 16 that is provided with a hand grip 26 at one end thatcan be used for maneuvering the vacuum cleaner 10 over a surface to becleaned. A hose 28 can form at least a portion of the working air pathbetween the collection assembly 18 and the base 14, and one end of thehose 28 can be configured for removal from communication with the base14 for optional above-the-floor cleaning.

The upright body 12 can include a motor housing 30 which contains asuction motor 32 positioned therein in fluid communication with thecollection assembly 18. The motor housing 30 may be provided at a lowerend of the spine 16. As described in further detail below, the motorhousing 30 has at least one degree of freedom to move relative to boththe upright body 12 and the base 14.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a base 14 of the vacuum cleaner fromFIG. 1 . In FIG. 3 , a portion of the base 14 of the vacuum cleaner 10is cut away to show some internal features of the base 14. The base 14can include an upper housing 34 that couples with a lower housing 36 tocreate a partially enclosed space therebetween. A brushroll chamber 38can be provided at a forward portion of the base 14 and defines achamber for receiving a brushroll 40. A suction nozzle opening 42 isformed in the lower housing 36 and is in fluid communication with thebrushroll chamber 38 and the collection assembly 18 (FIG. 2 ). Wheels 44can be provided on the base 14 for maneuvering the vacuum cleaner 10over a surface to be cleaned.

The brushroll 40 is positioned within the brushroll chamber 38 forrotational movement about a central longitudinal axis. A singlebrushroll 40 is illustrated; however, it is within the scope of thepresent disclosure for dual rotating brushrolls or other agitatorconfigurations, including one or more non-rotating agitators, to beused. Moreover, it is within the scope of the present disclosure for thebrushroll 40 to be mounted within the brushroll chamber 38 in a fixed orfloating vertical position relative to the brushroll chamber 38 andlower housing 36. In another example, one or more brushrolls oragitators can be provided which are driven for rotation about a verticalaxis.

The brushroll 40 can be operably coupled to and driven by the suctionmotor 32 in the motor housing 30. A drive belt 46 operably connects ashaft 48 of the suction motor 32 to the brushroll 40 for transmittingrotational motion to the brushroll 40. Thus, the vacuum cleaner 10 doesnot require a separate motor for driving the brushroll 40, which canreduce the product cost. The base 14 can further include an optionalsuction nozzle height adjustment mechanism 50 for adjusting the heightof the suction nozzle opening 42 with respect to the surface to becleaned. The height adjustment mechanism 50 can include a wheeledcarriage which lifts and lowers the front end of the base 14 relative tothe surface to be cleaned and rotatable knob provided on the exterior ofthe base 14 for actuating the adjustment mechanism 50. In other examplesof the present disclosure, the suction nozzle height adjustmentmechanism can be eliminated.

The components of the vacuum cleaner 10 can be housed or carried on theupright body 12 or base 14 in various combinations. For example, in theexample shown herein, the collection assembly 18 and suction motor 32can be provided on the upright body 12, while the suction nozzle opening42 and brushroll 40 can be provided on the base 14. Other configurationsare possible.

The upright body 12 is pivotally mounted to the base 14 for movementbetween at least an upright storage position shown in FIG. 1 and areclined use position shown in FIG. 8 . Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4 , arotational coupling 52 can be provided between the upright body 12 andthe base 14 for coupling the upright body 12 to the base 14 for movementabout at least one rotational axis. The rotational coupling 52 of theillustrated example includes at least a swivel joint 54 which permitsmovement about a first rotational axis Y that extends generallyobliquely to the surface over which the base 14 moves and generallyalong the direction the base 14 travels during normal operation of thevacuum cleaner 10. The rotational coupling 52 can further include apivot joint 56 which permits movement about a second rotational axis Xthat is generally perpendicular to the swivel axis Y and extendsgenerally parallel to the surface to be cleaned. Other couplings 52,including those with single or multiple axes of rotation, are possible.

As illustrated, the swivel joint 54 includes a swivel 58 and a swivelcover 60. The swivel 58 is mounted to or otherwise fixed or providedwith the upright body 12, such that the upright body 12 moves with theswivel 58 about the swivel axis Y. The swivel 58 is further rotatablymounted in a cradle 62 defined by a portion of the motor housing 30 anda portion of the swivel cover 60, such that the motor housing 30 doesnot move about the swivel axis Y when the upright body 12 and the swivel58 move about the swivel axis Y.

A swivel lock can be provided for locking the swivel joint 54 againstrotation when the vacuum cleaner 10 is in the upright storage positionshown in FIG. 1 , and can include a locking protrusion 64 extendingupwardly from the base 14 and a corresponding locking recess 66 in theswivel 58. The locking protrusion 64 is positioned to be seated in thelocking recess 66 when the upright body 12 is pivoted about the pivotaxis X to the upright storage position. Alternatively, the lockingprotrusion 64 can protrude downwardly from the swivel 58 and the lockingrecess 66 can be provided in the base 14.

As illustrated, the pivot joint 56 includes pivot shafts 68 provided onopposing sides of the motor housing 30 and corresponding pivot bearings70 (only one of which is visible in FIG. 4 ) formed on an inner surfaceof a rear cavity of the base 14 that provides a space for receiving themotor housing 30. The pivot shafts 68 mounted in the bearings 70rotatably mount the motor housing 30 for movement about the pivot axis Xrelative to the base 14. Via the couplings between the motor housing 30and the swivel 58, and between the swivel 58 and the upright body 12,the upright body 12 also moves with the motor housing 30 about the pivotaxis X.

The vacuum cleaner 10 can further be provided with a detent mechanismfor selectively locking the upright body 12 in the upright storageposition, against rotation about the pivot axis X. In the illustratedexample, the detent mechanism includes a detent pedal 72 pivotallymounted to the base 14 for selectively releasing the vacuum cleaner 10from the upright storage position and allowing the upright body 12 topivot to the reclined use position.

The vacuum cleaner 10 further includes a cord rewinder 74 thatselectively stores and dispenses a power cord 76 (FIGS. 2 and 6 ). Thecord rewinder 74 enables the power cord 76 to be stored within thevacuum cleaner 10, thereby avoiding the need to manually wind the powercord 76 around an exterior portion of the vacuum cleaner 10 after acleaning operation.

Referring to FIG. 5 , the cord rewinder 74 includes a cord reel housing78, which is stationary or fixed relative to the upright body 12 of thevacuum cleaner, and a spool or cord reel 80 rotatably mounted within thecord reel housing 78 for winding the power cord 76. The cord rewinder 74can further include a brake assembly 82 and an actuator 84.

The power cord 76 is electrically coupled to a circuit (not shown) forsupplying electrical power to the electrically-operated components ofthe vacuum cleaner 10, such as the suction motor 32. A portion of thepower cord 76 is secured to the cord reel 80, and the cord 76 is fedthrough the cord reel housing 78 such that an end of the power cord 76having a plug 85 is on the exterior of the cord reel housing 78. Thecord reel housing 78 can include a recessed opening surrounded by a cordring 86 in which the plug 85 is received when the power cord 76 iscompletely wound about the cord reel 80. The cord reel housing 78 isillustrated herein as including an upper housing 88 and a lower housing90, although other configurations of the cord reel housing 78 arepossible.

The cord reel 80 is rotatably mounted to the housing 78, and is operableto rotate in a first direction to take up the power cord 76, and also torotate in a second, opposing direction to dispense the power cord 76.The cord reel 80 is coaxially and rotatably mounted on an axle 92 thatrotates relative to the cord reel housing 78 as the cord 76 is unwoundand rewound on the cord reel 80.

A reel spring 94 is provided between the cord reel housing 78 and thecord reel 80 and is operative to apply a winding force on the cord reel80 to rotate the cord reel 80 in the first direction to take up thepower cord 76. The reel spring 94 can, for example, be a coil spring orspiral torsion spring. One end of the reel spring 94 is coupled to thecord reel 80 and the opposite end is coupled to a spring cover 96, whichis mounted or fixed to the stationary cord reel housing 78. For example,the spring cover 96 can include at least one tab that engages a recessedportion of the cord reel housing 78. Thus the cord reel 80 and one endof the reel spring 94 rotate with respect to the spring cover 96, whichis held stationary by the cord reel housing 78.

The cord rewinder 74 can further include a contact housing 98, which ismounted or fixed to the cord reel housing 78, and which mounts at leastone electrical contact 100 in electrical communication with the electricsystem of the vacuum cleaner 10. In the illustrated example, the atleast one electrical contact 100 can include multiple V-shaped springcontacts. The spring contacts 100 are connected to electric leads thatconnect to the electric system of the vacuum cleaner 10. The electricleads can include a coiled cord, for example, extending from the springcontacts 100, through the lower housing 90 and motor housing 30 to thesuction motor 32.

The power cord 76 can be secured to a cord mount frame 102 mounted tothe cord reel 80 with a cord clamp 104. Slip rings 106, such ascontinuous conductive strips, are mounted on the bottom of the cordmount frame 102. Electric leads from the power cord 76 are connected tothe slip rings 106. The slip rings 106 contact the spring contacts 100,which are configured to deflect slightly in order to maintain electricalconnection as the cord reel 80, cord mount frame 102 and slip rings 106rotate with respect to the stationary spring contacts 100.

The brake assembly 82 is mounted to a portion of the cord reel housing78 for releasably locking the cord reel 80 in a desired position oncethe power cord 76 has been unwound from the cord reel 80 a desiredamount. The brake assembly 82 can include a spring-loaded arm 108pivotally mounted relative to the cord reel 80, a brake wheel 110rotatably mounted in a slotted hole in the arm 108, and a spring 112positioned between the cord reel housing 78 and the arm 108 for biasingthe arm 108 toward an engaged position in which the brake wheel 110 isengaged with the cord reel 80. The brake assembly 82 also has adisengaged position in which the brake wheel 110 is disengaged from thecord reel 80. When the brake wheel 110 is engaged, the brake wheel 110prevents the cord reel 80 from rotating the first direction, whilepermitting rotation of the cord reel 80 in the second direction. Whenthe brake wheel 110 is disengaged, the cord reel 80 is free to rotate inthe first direction to wind up the power cord 76 under the biasing forceof the reel spring 94.

The actuator 84 of the cord rewinder 74 is configured to release thebrake assembly 82, and allow the cord reel 80 to rotate under thebiasing force of the reel spring 94 to wind up the power cord 76.Depressing the actuator 84, which is shown herein as a button accessiblefrom the exterior of the cord reel housing 78 and from the exterior ofthe vacuum cleaner 10, releases the brake assembly 82.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the cord rewinder 74 can define a platform onwhich the collection assembly 18 is removably supported. In theillustrated example, the upper surface of the cord reel housing 78 formsthe platform. The cord reel housing 78 can be provided with a locatorfeature 114 that is received in a correspondingly shaped recess 116 inthe bottom of the collection assembly 18 in order to properly orient thecollection assembly 18 on the platform. When the collection assembly 18is mounted on the platform, the locator feature 114 can be at leastpartially or fully received by the recess 116. The locator feature 114prevents installation of the collection assembly 18 until is it properlyaligned with the recess 116. In addition to the cord rewinder 74, insome examples the collection assembly 18 may be supported by the spine16 or another portion of the upright body 12.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the cord rewinder 74 defines a cord reel axis Aabout which the cord reel 80 rotates. For example, the axis A can bedefined by the axle 92 of the cord reel 80. In one example, the axis Acan be parallel to the longitudinal axis C of the collection assembly18; more particularly, the cord rewinder axis A and the longitudinalaxis C can be identical or coincident, such that the cord rewinder 74and collection assembly 18 are coaxially oriented.

Referring to FIGS. 2-3 , the swivel joint 54 of the vacuum cleaner 10 islocated generally above the motor housing 30, which permits the shaft 48of the suction motor 32 to drive the brushroll 40 via the drive belt 46.For example, the swivel joint 54 may be located at an upper, forwardside of the motor housing 30, as seen shown in FIG. 2 . Thisconfiguration is less costly than conventional swivel designs for vacuumcleaners, which place a suction motor above the joint, and thus requirea separate brushroll motor in the base to drive the brushroll.Additionally, the cord rewinder 74 is located above both the swiveljoint 54 and the suction motor 32. With the suction motor 32 spaced awayfrom the cord rewinder 74, heat transfer from the suction motor 32 tothe cord rewinder 74 is reduced, allowing for improved cooling of thecord rewinder 74. In addition, placing the cord rewinder 74 above theswivel joint 54, rather than mounting it below the swivel joint 54within the motor housing 30, reduces the required envelope size of themotor housing 30, providing a more compact footprint for the vacuumcleaner 10, which improves maneuverability of the vacuum cleaner 10.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the vacuum collection system 120 of thevacuum cleaner 10. The vacuum collection system 120 can include aworking air path 122 through the vacuum cleaner 10, which extends from adirty air inlet to a clean air outlet, and may include one or more ofthe suction nozzle opening 42, the suction motor 32 in fluidcommunication with the suction nozzle opening 42 for generating aworking air stream, and the collection assembly 18 for separating andcollecting debris from the working airstream for later disposal. Theworking air path 122 can further include various air conduits for fluidcommunication between the various components of the vacuum collectionsystem 120, including, but not limited to, the vacuum hose 28. Thesuction motor 32 can be positioned downstream of the collection assembly18 in the working air path 122. In other examples, the suction motor 32may be located fluidly upstream of the collection assembly 18.

In the illustrated example, the dirty air inlet of the working air path122 is defined by the suction nozzle opening 42 for on-the-floorcleaning and an end of the vacuum hose 28 for above-the-floor cleaning.The clean air outlet of the working air path 62 is defined by an exhaustopening 124 on the vacuum cleaner.

A portion of the electrical system of the vacuum cleaner 10 is alsoshown in FIG. 6 . The suction motor 32 can be electrically coupled tothe power cord 76, which may be plugged into a household electricaloutlet. A suction power switch 126 between the suction motor 32 and thepower cord 76 can be selectively closed by the user upon pressing asuction power button 128 (FIG. 3 ), thereby activating the suction motor32. The suction power switch 126 and button 128 may also activate thebrushroll 40, or a separate actuator for the brushroll may be provided.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 4 and 7 , the working air path 122 between thecollection assembly 18 and the suction motor 32 can include a duct 130extending downwardly through the spine 16 that has an upper inlet end132 in fluid communication with an air outlet 134 of the collectionassembly 18 and a lower outlet end 136 in fluid communication with theswivel joint 54. The portion of the working air path 122 through theswivel joint 54 is fluidly connected to a motor air inlet 138 of themotor housing 30 via a working air chamber 140 formed between the swiveljoint 54 and the motor housing 30. In the illustrated example, theworking air chamber 140 is specifically formed between the swivel 58,the swivel cover 60, and the motor housing 30. Also as illustrated, theinterior of the swivel 58 can be at least partially hollow to define aswivel air conduit 142 therethrough in fluid communication with thelower outlet end 136 of the spine duct 130 and in fluid communicationwith the working air chamber 140 via an outlet port 144 through a sideof the swivel 58.

Referring to FIGS. 7-9 , a motor air outlet 146 is formed in an oppositeend of the motor housing 30 from the motor air inlet 138, and isisolated from the motor air inlet 138 and working air chamber 140 by apartition 148. In the illustrated example, the partition 148 is formedby mating ribs in the motor housing 30 and the swivel cover 60. The ribscan be mated using a tongue and groove fitting, or another suitablejoint.

The motor air outlet 146 is in fluid communication with the exhaustopening 124. In the illustrated example, the exhaust opening 124 isformed in the swivel cover 60, although in other examples, the exhaustopening 124 can be separate from the swivel cover 60. A portion of theswivel cover 60 can be provided with a plurality of vents 150 definingthe exhaust opening 124. As noted above, the swivel cover 60 can alsodefine the working air chamber 140 connected to the motor air inlet 138.As such, the portion of the swivel cover 60 forming the working airchamber 140 can be solid or otherwise impermeable to air.

In the illustrated example, the exhaust opening 124 is provided fluidlydownstream of a post-motor filter 152 located fluidly downstream of themotor air outlet 146. The post-motor filter 152 can be a permanentexhaust filter mounted on the backside of the swivel cover 60, over thevents 150, which does not need to be accessible to the user for cleaningor replacement. The permanent exhaust filter 152 can include varioustypes of filter media, including melt-blown polypropylene or polyestermedia, or porous foam, for example. In other examples, a non-permanentexhaust filter 152 can be provided.

A pre-motor filter 154 is optionally provided in the working air path122 between the cyclone separator 20 and the motor air inlet 138. Asshown in FIG. 2 , the pre-motor filter 154 can be provided within thecollection assembly 18, upstream of the air outlet 134. The vacuumcollection system 120 can also be provided with one or more additionalfilters upstream or downstream of the collection assembly 18 or thesuction motor 32.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 9 , the spine 16 defines a platform 156 onwhich the cord rewinder 74 is mounted. In the illustrated example, theplatform 156 is formed at a lower end of the spine 16, and protrudesforwardly above the swivel joint 54. In addition to the platform 156, insome examples the cord rewinder 74 may be supported by the upwardlyextending portion of the spine 16 forming the duct 130.

Referring to FIGS. 8-9 , the cord rewinder 74 is further located abovethe clean air outlet, illustrated herein as exhaust opening 124. Whenthe vacuum cleaner 10 is reclined, as shown in FIG. 8 , the exhaustopening 124 faces an underside of the cord rewinder 74, and exhaust air,as indicated by arrows in FIG. 8 , from the vacuum cleaner 10 isdirected upwardly to cool the cord rewinder 74. Exhaust air from thesuction motor 32 exits the motor housing 30 through the motor air outlet146, and passes through the vents 150 in the swivel cover 60. A shroud158 traps a portion of the exhaust air stream exiting the vacuum cleaner10 for use as cooling air, and guides the cooling air upwardly, throughvent holes 160, 162 formed in the platform 156 and cord reel housing 78.The shroud 158 of the illustrated example is located beneath a lowerportion of the upright body 12 and includes a substantially verticalwall extending below the cord rewinder 74 for trapping or diverting andguiding the exhaust air toward the cord rewinder 74.

The vent holes 162 in the cord reel housing 78 can be provided in thelower housing 90, and form cooling air inlets into the cord rewinder 74.Vent holes 164 can also be provided in the upper housing 88 and formcooling air outlets from the cord rewinder 74 to the exterior of thevacuum cleaner.

In the illustrated example, the cooling pathway for the cord rewinder 74extends partially exteriorly of the vacuum cleaner 10, as the exhaustair is exhausted out of the vacuum cleaner 10 and through the ambientenvironment before reaching the cord rewinder 74. This cooling pathwaycan provide superior cooling when compared with prior art cord winderscooled via an internal cooling pathway, as exhaust air that is exposedto the ambient environment may be cooler than exhaust air remainsinternal to a vacuum cleaner. The partially-exterior cooling pathway,the shroud 158, and the vent holes 160, 162, 164 provide superiorcooling and temperature reduction of the cord rewinder 74.

It is noted that, in other examples, the shroud 158 can be eliminated,and since the exhaust opening 124 faces an underside of the cordrewinder 74, exhaust air from the vacuum cleaner 10 is still directedgenerally upwardly toward the cord rewinder 74 to cool the cord rewinder74. However, absent the shroud 158, much less exhaust air will passthrough the cord rewinder 74, resulting in less cooling of the cordrewinder 74 and increased temperature during operation of the cordrewinder 74.

It is also noted that, in other examples, any of the vent holes 160,162, 164 in the platform 156 and cord reel housing 78 can be eliminated,and since the exhaust opening 124 faces an underside of the cordrewinder 74, exhaust air from the vacuum cleaner 10 is still directedgenerally upwardly toward the cord rewinder 74 to cool the cord rewinder74. However, absent the vent holes 160, 162, the exhaust air can onlyindirectly lower the temperature of the cord rewinder 74 by cooling thebottom of the upright body 12, resulting in less cooling of the cordrewinder 74 and increased temperature during operation of the cordrewinder 74.

Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11 , at least one seal 166 can optionally beprovided between the swivel 58 and the swivel cover 60 to prevent vacuumleaks. In one example, two seals 166 can be provided; one seal 166between and upper portion of the swivel 58 and swivel cover 60 andanother seal 166 between a lower portion of the swivel 58 and swivelcover 60. The seal 166 can be a flexible and expandable seal mountedbetween the swivel 58 and the swivel cover 60. The seal 166 is alsoconfigured to slip relative to the swivel 58 and the swivel cover 60 soas not to impede the function of the swivel 58. Under vacuum, asgenerated by the suction motor 32, the seal 166 can expand to preventworking air leaks and debris from entering the swivel joint 54. Airleaks reduce the overall performance of the vacuum cleaner 10 and debriscan cause excess friction, which can impede facile and proper functionof the swivel 58. It is noted that similar flexible, expandable,slippery seals can be used in other applications including a rotatablejoint, such as a rotatable joint between a vacuum hose 28 and dirtcollector 22, for example. In one example, the seal 166 can be a thinferrule or bellows type seal. One example of a suitable material for theseal 166 is a plastic with a low coefficient of friction, such as, butnot limited to, nylon.

The vacuum cleaner 10 can be used to effectively clean a surface byremoving debris (which may include dirt, dust, soil, hair, and otherdebris) from the surface in accordance with the following method. Thesequence of steps discussed is for illustrative purposes only and is notmeant to limit the method in any way as it is understood that the stepsmay proceed in a different logical order, additional or interveningsteps may be included, or described steps may be divided into multiplesteps, without detracting from the present disclosure.

To perform vacuum cleaning, the power cord 76 is pulled out from thecord rewinder 74 module and plugged into a household electrical outlet.The power button 128 is pressed thereby activating the suction motor 32,and optionally the brushroll 40. The suction nozzle opening 42 is movedover the surface to be cleaned via movement of the base 14, generally ina series of forward and backward strokes. The brushroll 40 can agitatedebris on the surface so that the debris is more easily ingested intothe suction nozzle opening 42. The suction motor 32 draws indebris-laden air through the suction nozzle opening 42 and into thecollection assembly 18 where the debris is substantially separated fromthe working air. The air flow then passes the suction motor 32, andcontinues through the working air path 122 to the exhaust opening 124. Aportion of the exhaust air stream exiting the vacuum cleaner 10 coolsthe cord rewinder 74. The collection assembly 18 can be periodicallyemptied of debris. When vacuum cleaning is done, the power cord 76 canbe unplugged from the household electrical outlet and rewound by thecord rewinder 74.

The vacuum cleaner disclosed herein provides an improved cord rewinder.One advantage that may be realized in the practice of some examples ofthe described vacuum cleaner is that an air cooling pathway for thevacuum cleaner that includes a shroud for guiding vacuum cleaner exhaustair to vent holes in fluid communication with an interior of the cordrewinder.

The vacuum cleaner disclosed herein further provides an improvedcoupling joint between the upright body and the base. One advantage thatmay be realized in the practice of some examples of the described vacuumcleaner is that the coupling joint, and in particular the swivel jointof the coupling joint, is located above the motor. This permits a singlemotor to generate the working air flow and also to drive the brushroll,such as via a flat stretch belt. This configuration is less costly thanconventional swivel joint designs, which place the vacuum motor abovethe joint, and thus require a separate foot motor to drive thebrushroll.

Another advantage that may be realized in the practice of some examplesof the described vacuum cleaner is that the coupling joint, and inparticular the swivel joint of the coupling joint, forms a portion of aworking air path through the vacuum cleaner and, with the cord rewinderspaced above the motor, can direct exhaust air toward the cord rewinderfor cooling.

Another advantage that may be realized in the practice of some examplesof the described vacuum cleaner is that the coupling joint, and inparticular the swivel joint of the coupling joint, forms a portion of aworking air path through the vacuum cleaner and includes an expandableseal between the moving components of the swivel joint to prevent vacuumleaks.

To the extent not already described, the different features andstructures of the vacuum cleaner 10 may be used in combination with eachother as desired. That one vacuum cleaner is illustrated as having allfeatures disclosed herein is not to be construed that it must have allof the features, but is done for brevity of description. For example,embodiments of the cord rewinder 74 and expansible seal 166 can beemployed independently of each other. Thus, the various features of thevacuum cleaner 10 can be mixed and matched as desired to form newembodiments, whether or not the new embodiments are expressly described.

The written description uses examples to disclose the presentdisclosure, including the best mode, and also to enable any personskilled in the art to practice the present disclosure, including makingand using any devices or systems performing any incorporated methods.The patentable scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claim,and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art.Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims ifthey have structural elements to do not differ from the literal languageof the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements withinsubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A vacuum cleaner, comprising: an upright body; abase adapted for movement over a surface to be cleaned and comprising asuction nozzle opening; a working air path which extends from a dirtyair inlet to a clean air outlet; a power cord; a suction motorelectrically coupled to the power cord and defining a portion of theworking air path; a cord rewinder; and an air cooling pathway configuredto direct air from the suction motor to the cord rewinder, the aircooling pathway extending partially exteriorly of the vacuum cleanerupstream of the cord rewinder.
 2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 whereinthe cord rewinder is located vertically above the clean air outlet. 3.The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, further comprising a shroud extendingfrom a lower portion of the upright body, the shroud in at least partialregister with the clean air outlet.
 4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 3wherein the cord rewinder comprises a cord reel housing fixed relativeto the upright body and a cord reel rotatably mounted within the cordreel housing for winding the power cord, wherein a portion of the powercord is secured to the cord reel and the cord reel is operable to rotatein a first direction to take up the power cord, and to rotate in asecond, opposing direction to dispense the power cord.
 5. The vacuumcleaner of claim 4 wherein an upper surface of the cord reel housingdefines a platform on which a collection assembly is removably supportedand comprises a locator feature, and wherein the collection assemblycomprises a recess shaped correspondingly to the locator feature andconfigured to at least partially receive the locator feature.
 6. Thevacuum cleaner of claim 5 wherein at least one of the cord reel housingor the platform further comprises vent openings formed therein and thevent openings define a portion of the air cooling pathway.
 7. The vacuumcleaner of claim 3 wherein the air cooling pathway extends from theclean air outlet exteriorly through the ambient environment to aninterior of the cord rewinder.
 8. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, furthercomprising a swivel joint coupling the upright body and the base andwherein the swivel joint comprises a swivel on the upright body and aswivel cover at least partially defining a cradle in which the swivel isrotatably mounted.
 9. The vacuum cleaner of claim 8 wherein the uprightbody comprises a motor housing, which contains the suction motor, andthe cradle is further defined by a portion of the motor housing, suchthat the swivel is rotatably mounted between the motor housing and theswivel cover.
 10. The vacuum cleaner of claim 8 wherein the swivel is atleast partially hollow to form a portion of the working air path, anddefine a swivel air conduit therethrough in fluid communication with acollection assembly and the suction motor.
 11. The vacuum cleaner ofclaim 8 wherein the clean air outlet is defined by an exhaust openingformed in the swivel cover, wherein the exhaust opening faces anunderside of the cord rewinder when the upright body is reclinedrelative to the base.
 12. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, furthercomprising a swivel joint coupling the upright body and the base andwherein the upright body comprises a motor housing, which contains thesuction motor, the swivel joint is located at an upper, forward side ofthe motor housing, and a portion of the working air path extends throughthe swivel joint.
 13. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the uprightbody comprises a motor housing which contains the suction motor, theupright body comprises a spine supporting a collection assembly, and themotor housing is provided at a lower end of the spine.
 14. The vacuumcleaner of claim 13 wherein the spine defines a platform on which thecord rewinder is mounted, and the platform is formed at the lower end ofthe spine.
 15. The vacuum cleaner of claim 14 wherein the platformfurther comprises vent openings formed therein and the vent openingsdefine a portion of the air cooling pathway.
 16. A vacuum cleaner,comprising: an upright body; a base adapted for movement over a surfaceto be cleaned and comprising a suction nozzle opening; a working airpath which extends from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet; acollection assembly defining a portion of the working air path; arotational coupling between the upright body and the base, wherein therotational coupling comprises a swivel joint permitting movement of theupright body about a first rotational axis relative to the base; a powercord; a suction motor electrically coupled to the power cord anddefining a portion of the working air path, the suction motor having amotor air outlet; a cord rewinder located above the suction motor; andan air cooling pathway for the cord rewinder that directs exhaust airfrom the motor air outlet to the cord rewinder, wherein a portion of theair cooling pathway extends exteriorly through the ambient environmentprior to reaching the cord rewinder.
 17. The vacuum cleaner of claim 16wherein the air cooling pathway includes a shroud guiding exhaust air toan air inlet in fluid communication with an interior of the cordrewinder.
 18. The vacuum cleaner of claim 16, further comprising ashroud extending from a lower portion of the upright body and includinga wall extending below the cord rewinder and in at least partialregister with the clean air outlet.
 19. The vacuum cleaner of claim 18wherein at least one of the shroud or the wall further comprises ventopenings formed therein and the vent openings define a portion of theair cooling pathway.
 20. The vacuum cleaner of claim 16 wherein the cordrewinder is located vertically above the clean air outlet.